How to ferment raspberry leaves at home

Herbal teas are much healthier than traditional ones. They do not contain caffeine or its analogues, but have a number of beneficial properties. Doctors and nutritionists recommend using them in the daily diet. One of the most delicious and aromatic options is raspberry tea.

If in summer brewed raspberry leaves have a rich aroma, then in winter their taste is less pronounced. To achieve a darker color and pronounced taste, they are fermented. This is a complex and time-consuming procedure, but thanks to it, dried herbs become more useful and are not inferior in gastronomic qualities to ordinary tea.

Why ferment raspberry leaves?

Fermentation is the breakdown of organic substances under the influence of enzymes. The procedure converts insoluble compounds in leaf tissue into soluble compounds that can be absorbed by the body. Bacteria located both on the product itself and in the air are responsible for fermentation.

Fermented raspberry tea is more aromatic than just dried leaves. It is also distinguished by its rich brown color and unusual taste.

This is how traditional black tea is prepared. And thanks to fermentation, it turns out so dark and tart (by comparison, green tea is not fermented).

This is interesting! It's not just raspberry leaves that are fermented. The greens of other fruit and berry trees, as well as fireweed, are suitable for this.

The benefits and harms of fermented raspberry leaf tea

Fermenting raspberry leaves not only enhances the aroma and taste of foods, but also makes them healthier. It is recommended to drink this tea not only as a replacement for traditional hot drinks, but also as a cure for colds and a means to boost immunity.

Raspberry leaves have a number of beneficial properties:

1. Anti-inflammatory. It is believed that the action of raspberry leaves is not inferior to aspirin, but at the same time they are more useful.
2. Expectorant. The product thins mucus and removes it from the bronchi.
3. Hemostatic. Stops both external and internal bleeding.
4. Antitoxic. Removes waste, toxins, and heavy metals from the body.
5. Sweatshop. Raspberry tea increases sweating. This helps reduce body temperature.
6. Immunostimulating. Fermented tea activates immune processes, helping to cope with colds.
7. General strengthening. Tones the body and improves its condition. Restores vitamin and mineral balance.
8. Bonding. The product helps with diarrhea.

Tea made from fermented raspberry leaves will not benefit the body, but will cause harm if there are contraindications:

• constipation;
• allergic reaction to raspberries;
• gout.

Important! Raspberry tea is not used as the main treatment - it is only an adjuvant to the main therapy. Use the drink for medicinal purposes only after consultation with a specialist.

Collection and preparation of leaves

Before fermenting raspberry leaves at home, they need to be collected and prepared. This stage has several rules and nuances.

Raspberry greens are harvested from spring to autumn. It is worth considering that in the spring the leaves will be more tender and useful.In autumn they are coarse, require longer fermentation, but also have the most pronounced aroma.

Note! If you collect a large number of leaves from the bush before fruiting, this will slow down the process of ovary formation. In spring, no more than 2 shoots are removed from 1 bush.

When choosing leaves, pay attention to the following parameters:

1. Gathering place. Bushes growing near roads and industrial facilities are not suitable for harvesting for the winter. They contain heavy metals.
2. No chemical treatments. You cannot pick raspberries after spraying them with commercial insect and pest repellents.
3. Appearance. The selected leaves should be free of stains, mold, damage, cobwebs and other traces of diseases and pests.
4. Form. The sheet plates must have the correct shape. Deformed leaves indicate a viral infection.

You should not wash the leaves, as this will interfere with drying before fermentation. The leaf plates are sorted out and shaken off debris.

If the raw materials were collected in the fall, hard veins and petioles are removed. This will make fermentation easier.

Fermentation stages

The fermentation process of raspberry leaves consists of several stages. It includes both preparation and fermentation itself.

Drying

Excess moisture in raw materials complicates further processing and deteriorates the quality of fermentation. The result is low-quality tea with a musty smell. Therefore, cooking begins with drying.

It is during this stage that the destruction of chlorophyll and other elements that give the raw material a herbal smell begins. At the same time, essential oils accumulate and open, due to which the raspberry aroma reveals itself and becomes more saturated.

Leaves are dried in two ways. Here is one of them:

1. The leaves are placed on a cloth bedding or pallets in a layer 1-2 cm thick. They are covered with one layer of gauze on top to protect them from dust and insects.
2. Pallets with leaves are placed in a place with a temperature of at least 24°C. The hotter it is outside, the faster the process will complete. Air humidity should not be higher than 70%. Raspberries are dried outdoors in a shaded area protected from the wind or indoors in a well-ventilated area with suitable conditions.
3. The raw materials are left to dry for 6 hours. Then it is turned over and left for another 6 hours. If necessary, the process is repeated.

In this way, the duration of the procedure varies between 12-48 hours. It depends on the temperature and humidity.

The second method looks like this:

1. Prepare a clean, dry cloth. It should be as dense as possible. A tablecloth, linen, or clean rug will do.
2. The leaves are laid out over the entire area of ​​the material in one layer. The fabric with greenery is rolled into a tight roll.
3. After 6 hours, the fabric is unrolled and the leaves are checked. If they have not wilted, then they are transferred to another material and wrapped again.

To check whether the leaves have wilted, bend them. If a crunch is not heard in the vein area, then the raw material is ready. The leaf plate is squeezed in the hand. When unclenching your palm, they should not straighten.

Freezing

After the leaves have dried, they are frozen to destroy the cell membranes of the product and force the juice to release.

Dried raspberry leaves are poured into a bag and sent to the freezer. It is enough to keep the raw materials there for 24-48 hours. It is possible to leave the leaves in the freezer for a month.

This stage allows you to achieve proper fermentation in the shortest possible time. The longer a product sits in the freezer, the easier it is to work with.

Note! Freezing is not considered a necessary step in leaf fermentation. This procedure simply allows the raspberry greens to ferment more easily and quickly.

Destruction of the leaf structure

Raspberry leaf juice contains enzymes necessary for successful fermentation. When they are frozen, an insufficient amount of juice is released through the membranes of the raspberry leaves. To achieve the desired effect, the structure of the raw material is destroyed.

This is done in one of the following ways:

1. Twisting. Leaves are placed in a stack of 5 pieces. Each stack is rolled with your fingers. The resulting bundle is rolled with pressure between the palms until it is completely darkened with juice. After this, the package should not unfold on its own.
2. Kneading. The leaves are poured into a large bowl. They are kneaded by hand as if kneading dough. After the procedure, each leaf blade should darken from the juice. They are left in this form or each individual leaf is rolled into a tube.
3. Meat grinder. The leaves are passed through a meat grinder. Granulated tea is made from the resulting granules.

It is difficult to decide which of the described methods is the most correct. It is better to do this using method 1 or 2.

Fermentation process

As soon as the juice is released onto the surface of the leaf plate, fermentation begins. It consists of several steps, each of which is accompanied by its own enzyme. If the sequence of steps is disrupted or one of the enzymes is turned off, the redox process will not be completed, which will negatively affect the quality of the tea.

To eliminate the possibility of violation of fermentation technology, the optimal temperature of +22...+26°C is set in the room where the product will be stored.At temperatures below +15°C, fermentation stops; if the temperature in the room is above +30°C, then the compounds that give strength and pleasant taste become insoluble.

The fermentation process looks like this:

1. A layer of raspberry leaves 7-10 thick is placed in a container with a lid made of plastic or enameled metal. If the layer thickness is less than normal, the fermentation will be of poor quality. The raw materials placed in the container are crushed by hand.
2. A plate and pressure are placed on the future tea. The top of the structure is covered with damp natural fabric or gauze. The container is closed with a lid so that there is a gap for air access.
3. The fabric is checked periodically. If it is dry, then it is wetted again.

The fermentation process of raspberry leaves lasts from 6 to 10 hours. At the same time, the smell begins to gradually intensify. The mass is considered ready when the aroma is most intense. With longer fermentation, the aroma becomes weaker, so the leaves should not be allowed to stand longer than expected.

Methods for drying fermented tea

Fermented leaves are prepared before drying. The method of preparation depends on the method of destruction of the structure:

1. The curled leaves are cut into small circles. If you rolled 1 sheet at a time, then this is not necessary.
2. The crumpled straight leaves are dried in this form. After drying, they can be ground if desired.
3. Twisted through a meat grinder, they are simply loosened by hand on the container in which they will be dried.

You can dry fermented raspberry tea in different ways. The list contains the most popular options:

1. Oven. The baking sheet is covered with parchment paper. A layer of fermented raw materials is poured onto it.The product is dried for an hour at a temperature of 100°C, then the indicators are reduced to 50-60°C and left until the residual liquid is removed. The tea on the baking sheet is stirred every 20 minutes. If possible, it is better to additionally turn on the convection mode.
2. Air fryer. The tea is placed on a tray and placed in a convection oven heated to 150°C. Under these conditions, the leaves are left for 10 minutes. Then they are mixed and the temperature is reduced to 85°C for 20 minutes. Throughout the entire time of drying the tea, the air fryer should remain open.
3. Pan. Tea is poured into a dry frying pan in small portions. First, it is fried for 10 minutes over medium heat, and then for 20 minutes over low heat. The leaves are constantly stirred.

Tea is removed from electrical appliances when most of the leaves are broken and not torn.

After roasting tea in a convection oven, oven or frying pan, final drying is necessary. Raspberry leaves are poured into a bag and hung outside in the sun. Depending on the weather, this process takes from 1 day to a week.

To understand that raspberry tea is ready, smell it. The finished product will not emit a distinct aroma. If you rub it in a bag, it will make rustling sounds. If granular raw materials were used (twisted in a meat grinder), then when fully prepared, it does not crumble when pressed, but breaks off in small pieces.

Storing fermented tea

The finished tea is tasted for the first time no earlier than a month later. If you do this earlier, its taste will not be rich enough.

Store fermented raspberry leaves in glass jars, fabric bags, and metal containers. The place where the tea stands should be protected from moisture and direct sunlight.

Making tea from fermented raspberry leaves

Raspberry leaves are used instead of traditional tea. They are brewed both as a main ingredient and as an additive to drinks.

There are many ways to prepare black tea. The simplest and best of them is to take 2 tsp of tea per 200 ml of water. The leaves are poured with warm water and allowed to brew for 15 minutes.

Sometimes raspberry tea is brewed in a teapot. Add 2-3 tbsp to a standard size container. l leaves and pour boiling water. The mixture is allowed to brew for 20 minutes, then used as a liquid infusion.

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Conclusion

Making fermented raspberry leaf tea is easy. The recipe includes several mandatory steps, during which the raw materials undergo several levels of processing. If you follow all the rules and take into account the nuances, then even a beginner can handle raspberry fermentation.

Fermented herbal teas are not only delicious, but also have health benefits. They contain many useful substances that have a positive effect on the body.